New Scott Specialized Lists Grades for U.S. Stamps

The new Scott Specialized Catalogue of U.S. Stamps and Covers now includes pricing for stamps issued between 1847 and 1956 in eight different grades between "Very Good 50" and "Superb 98", writes Peter Rexford, Sacramento Bee stamp and coin columnist.

According to Peter, "A few years ago, an independent company or two came into the field and started assigning a number grade to rare and/or collectible stamps ranging from 1 to 100, similar to a system coin collectors already had embraced."

He goes on to say, "Naturally, many traditional collectors objected to the new grading system. After all, for a stamp to be graded, it must be submitted to the third-party grader who assigns the grade and then seals the stamp in a tamper-proof plastic casing. Consequently, the stamp can no longer be displayed in a stamp album."

Shown above, various grades for Scott No. 210 based on condition and margin sizes. 100J is the highest rating a stamp can get. "J" stands for "Gem".

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For a free printable Guide to Grading and Expertizing U.S. Stamps, click here.